Supermarine Seamew

The Supermarine Seamew was a biplane amphibian designed to satisfy Air Ministry specification 29/24, but which had a low priority at Supermarine and never entered service. The Seamew was a twin engined biplane of similar size and performance to the Seagull II of 1922. It was mainly notable for having two raised defensive gun positions, one just behind the pilot’s cockpit and one behind the wings.

Two aircraft were ordered in 1925, but detailed design work did not start until the spring of 1926, and even then progress was slow. The first prototype did not make its maiden flight until 9 January 1928, by which time its performance and design was already looking obsolete. The Seamew had a wooden hull which soaked up water, reducing the performance of the aircraft. Trials in the summer of 1928 showed that the aircraft was nose heavy, and that the propellers were prone to being damaged by spray when moving at speed on the water. The first aircraft was returned to Supermarine in September 1929, and then crashed while taxiing on 12 April 1930. After this accident the programme was ended.